I’ve read countless senior send offs, so it feels a little unreal to be writing one myself. Part of me still feels like a sophomore, with a ton of time still ahead of me. I can’t tell if I’m excited or terrified to move on. 

The people I’ve met, especially within the past three years, the teachers I’ve gotten to know, the homecoming dances I’ve been so excited for, the lunch trips over the years, and it’s all coming to an end. Most of my friends I’ve gone to school with for 7+ years (Emerson, Nevi and Tayrell, I’m talking about you), and for the first time we’ll be separated. It’s a strange thing to think about. A part of me is dreading it, but most of me is so excited to see where we all go after high school, the things my friends will accomplish, the people we’ll meet. 

As I’ve moved through middle and high school, a big thing for me has been finding somewhere I belong. I never stayed in any clubs longer than a few weeks, I slowly lost my love for running, and needed somewhere to fit within my community. I met SB on a field trip with my gender studies class. I talked to her about my love of writing, and she encouraged me to join Intro to Journalism, which I did during my sophomore year. 

Intro to Journalism was fun, but it felt intimidating to me. I was scared to have people rely on me and my work. It felt like too much of a responsibility. When it came to the end of the year, I was set on that being the end of my journalism career. I was content with leaving and not returning to it, but if you know SB, you know she wouldn’t let that slide. It took a lot, but she somehow convinced me to interview for the newspaper. I wasn’t enthusiastic about it, in fact, I don’t think my interview even went that well. Nonetheless, my junior year I was back in that classroom, this time as a reporter.

I think about that moment in my life a lot. As I’ve grown as a writer and gained more confidence, I think about what would have happened if I hadn’t been convinced to join. Would I still have wanted to pursue journalism in college? Or would I have done something different?

I’ve met so many incredible people through the newspaper, had once in a lifetime opportunities, and found such a fun group of people to spend production nights with. It’s a bittersweet feeling, having everything slowly coming to an end. I really do feel like I owe my personal growth to this class, as I got better at talking to people, working with others, and trusting myself and my abilities to be a part of something bigger. 

We’ll all be moving away soon, working on new projects and turning into our own people, and as I start a new chapter of my life, I’ll continue to think about what this class did for me, as a writer and as an individual. I’m grateful for everyone I met and was able to work with over these four years. To new experiences!